Welcome to iCandy Dads' Club!

Hello Dads out there!

Into week 2 we go. It was great to see lots of you taking on the live workout with me last week and I hope that has kickstarted your motivation to become more active.

It’s not exactly easy is it, as I know with a new born, there feels like there is no time to breathe let alone do a workout. Dad’s often have just a short period of time off work and then it is quickly back to your day job, and then anytime at home is about seeing your small human and if we are honest, the feelings of guilt aren’t exactly enjoyable if you prioritise doing something else, like some “me time” to go to the gym.

There is also the pressure of wanting (and needing) to take some pressure off your partner. I don’t think I am saying anything controversial here, but as much as Dad’s want to help and be involved, in the early weeks and months it is really the mother who is the primary carer and we are the unglamorous assistant, stepping in at certain times during the 24/7 relentless schedule of the baby management game!

So, and again, nothing to controversial here, it isn’t a good idea for Dad to disappear to the gym when your partner has been on a baby based all nighter and is now wearing their clothes back to front, have a child’s toy tied up in their hair and a dirty nappy in their pocket.

So, the idea of this week’s workout is to give you and your partner the best of both Worlds. You get to do some exercise and at the same time give your other half a break as this is done when you are out on the “Dad’s Walk” with the little one, which for me involves numerous laps of the local park trying to go over all the bumpy paths to get Mabel to sleep and having to do emergency U-turns around 4pm when yelling groups of 13 year school kids rampage out of the nearby schools.

Over the last week’s these walks have been given the name of “aimless wandering”, or the “walk to nowhere” and when you look around, particularly in London there are literally hundreds of mums and dads, alone, just doing endless laps to try to get their babies to sleep or provide some time buffer until the next feed at home for example.

So Dad’s Club, these walks now have some purpose. Stick on your sports kit and forget the worry that you will look crazy and get out and get this done.

I look forward to seeing the action, tag me in on some footage on your Instagram stories using @RichTidmarsh @icandyworlduk and use #icandydadsclub.

Workout 2

The aim of this session is to build on the fundamentals of week 1, so, many of the movement’s that you learned with me in the week 1 live workout are included but we add in an element of conditioning using the space and geography that you have available on your walk.

The best option, would be to head to a park, one that has some kind of track loop from which you can head into some open grass space where you and the small human are safe.

I will talk you through an example, but use your imagination and enjoy the time outside on pushchair duty.

• Hinge W x 5                                         
• Can Opener Flow x 3/3                                                 
• Overhead Squat x 8                                               
• Plank Tap x 6/6                                  

• Negative Press Up (-3 seconds down) x 6
• Reverse Prisoner Lunge x 6/6                  
• 30m shuttle run out and back to pushchair x 2
• Rest for 1 minute (Small human check/entertainment)
• Try to complete 5 rounds of this, working as hard as your ability allows on the shuttle run.

• Isometric Hold to Jump Squat x 6                     
• Plank Tap x 6/6                                
• Dead Bug x 4/4                                                   
• Invert Table Top x 20 seconds